Interactive Book Launch: Happy Dreams

Guanghwa Bookshopwas opened in 1971 and since then has been the only bookshop specialising in Chinese publications in the UK. It has played an important role in supplying information to Sinologists in the UK, especially during the 1970s-1990s. With an extensive range of quality books, arts & crafts, art courses, and reading events, the bookshop continues to grow and has adapted to a new generation of readers and specialists.

Guanghwa Bookshop

If the Terracotta Warriors wish to converse with the English Queen, they should find Nicky Harman as their translator.
 
AND YOU WONDER WHY?
 
Nicky just completed a mission almost impossible – translating Jia Pingwa’s Happy Dreams into English. This award-winning novel is written in the strong and hilarious Xi’an dialect, and we can’t help but wonder how Nicky managed to turn the colourful Chinese dialect into English and still made us laugh our heads off?
 
If you are as curious to find out, join our interactive book launch of Happy Dreams! Hear Nicky talk about her challenging translating experience, watch clips from the absolutely hilarious film-of-the-book, and discuss ways of dealing with the dialect as well as the wealth of cultural references that pepper Happy Dreams. MOST OF ALL, we want you to join our accent and dialect games, and create your own translation of the funny conversations in the original book!
 
The book launch will be followed with a book signing session.
 
About the book
Travelling from his rural home to the city of Xi’an, Happy Liu brings only an eternally positive attitude, his devoted best friend Wufu, and a pair of high-heeled women’s shoes he hopes to fill with the love of his life. 
 
“In this optimistic yet heartbreaking tale of the life of Hawa “Happy” Liu…Jia Pingwa captures a nation undergoing change and brutally illustrates what the change might actually cost.” <A HREF="https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-61109-742-9" DATA-MSYS-CLICKTRACK="0" REL="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Publishers Weekly</A>
 
About the author
With most of his novels featuring a strong Xi’an dialect, Jia Pingwa is one of China’s most popular living authors but least translated. One of his most well-known novels is Ruined City, which was banned by the State Publishing Administration for over 17 years for its explicit sexual content,. The recently translated Happy Dreams was adapted into a same-name comedy film in 2008.
 
About the translator
Nicky Harman is co-Chair of the Translators Association (Society of Authors). Her translation of Jia Pingwa's novel Happy Dreams, will be published by Amazon Crossing 1st October 2017. She also spends time promoting contemporary Chinese fiction, giving talks, blogging and teaching translation summer schools. 
 
Charge of the event
The charge of the event is £3.00. Your admission ticket can be used as a £3.00 book voucher in Guanghwa Bookshop, for the purchase of any items. The voucher is not refundable.

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Interactive Book Launch: Happy Dreams

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Interactive Book Launch: Happy Dreams

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